Typhoons Like Haiyan Make Traveling To Paradise Islands More Unsafe

Typhoons Like Haiyan Make Traveling To Paradise Islands More Unsafe

Being stranded in an island paradise is the ultimate fantasy for those who love to frolic at the sea and enjoy simple living in rustic settings. It’s a different story, however, when you get stranded there in the middle of a super typhoon like Haiyan, the most powerful storm ever recorded in history. That dream of becoming stranded becomes a nightmare when you experience the full brunt of a category 5 storm.

Coron, an island paradise found in Palawan, Philippines, received a beating from Typhoon Haiyan, which left six people dead in its wake and a number of others wounded. Haiyan wreaked havoc not only on the city but also completely destroyed the Busuanga airport terminal, leaving as many as 400 tourists stranded and unable to leave as scheduled. Tourists supposedly staying for three days, ended up extending their stay to five days. It has been reported that around 80% of Coron’s tourist boats have been damaged. Almost all of the trees were also levelled by the typhoon. Most of the structures--houses and buildings--have either been damaged or not destroyed. Some tourists, however, were good sports and even went to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC) Command Center so they could assist in the packing of relief goods for the town’s many residents.

Keeping Your Cool

If you ever find yourself in the same boat of these tourists, trapped in an island paradise while awaiting a storm to pass, keep your cool. Panic never helps. It only helps to sow fear and chaos. Prepare a makeshift survival kit and prepare for the worst. Always be on the watchout for whatever event like sudden floodwaters entering your hotel and rising rapidly. Head for higher ground and try to help others as much as you can.

The Aftermath

After the storm has passed and the worst is over, don’t throw a tantrum. There are many people out there who are just as tired, as hungry--maybe even more--and as stressed out as you are. Be thankful you were able to survive a storm of that magnitude and do what you can to assist those who need help more.

Contingency Plan

Since we never know when or if we would ever get stranded somewhere because of a natural calamity, it’s always a great idea to prepare a contingency plan for every trip. Before you leave on a journey, make sure you’re insured for travel. There are travel insurance companies such as Seven Corners, which will help determine a person’s needed coverage for travel. Travel insurance is very important especially for cases when flights are delayed or when people are stranded due to some unexpected natural calamity occurring.

Posted by George Daniels on Wednesday November 13 2013, 7:29 AM EDT. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0